Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1887-11-19
Noone had ever accused Patrick o,Grady

1
| o'Grady had abandoned the calling OF a hostler
and taken up the profession OF q ward politician,
/ he had never condescended 70 soil his hands with
| a days manual labor. Yet, strangely enough,
Moran O'GTady felt no inclination TO triumph over
her enemy, but new and tender feeling crept into
| her heart.
Meantime Bridget Callahan filled the air with
| the sound OF her lamentations, now sobblng, now
| pleading now railing at those about her.
IAN are We men. an stand there idle, with three
poor fellow perfshin' so near, an not q hand that
| lifts 70 save him! shame on ye for weak-hearted
towards! For the love OF heaven, boysi oh. ye
| lazy vagabones! Let a woman show ye your duty ~
And quick as a flash, before any one could antici-
PsSe ner m0veinent In spite OF her corpulent and
the ladder and was preparing 10 60 down.
In the 1rst excitement OF their appearance OF the
/ scene neither OF the women had noticed a big,
muscular fellow, wearing a fiashy checked suit
with an air OF awkward rakishness, who stood on
the bank OF fresh earth but a few PAGES away,
smoking snort pipe and gazing speculatively
into the black pit below. AS the woman's shrill
cry OF denunciation reached his ears he might
have been seen to remove the pipe from his lips
for a moment and smile grimy to himself like one
who hears 4 compliment intended for him, and
FASTENED 10 acknowledge 1t. But Mrs Callahan
had no sooner set foot on the ladder than
heavy hand fell on her shoulder, and grun voice
sounded In her ears.
she looked up and recognized him, and her
face grew red as lobster with contending emo
lions.
"Oh, It's you, Patrick o'Grady, is it.r she cried
out, Ia shrill voice. "Let go OF me. Oh, you
worthless lOaferi You good-for-nothlng, do
nothing, dog-polsoning r-rascal! Let me go to
worth more than your whole lazy body. on, Bill,
Bli' And she broke out into a fresh storm OF
soos; but she suffered herself TO be led back with
Meanwhile, the man whom she had so bitterly
denounced, but TO whom she had nevertheless
upon his shoulder, and turned to face his wife
wered.
"An right. II you say so. nv girl,
In an instant his attitude had changed. New
life seemed infused into him. His huge, brawny
frame, but the moment before torpid, inert mass
became the embodiment OF activity and force. The
sluggish blood bounded through his veins. Recol-
lecuons OF old times when ne had been miner on
the Comstock and had fought the miners battle
with foul ayr and fre-damp, came back TO him. He
lung on his coat and unbutt oned his collar, bar
ing his huge, muscular throat.
.'SOme roper he shouted.
A coil OF rope fell at his feet. He caught up a
hose, hanging over a bed OF mortar close by, and
turned spray OF water into the dark pit, at the
same time SaJurating his handkerchief with the
water and binding IL tightly about his mouth and
nostrils. Then, with the rope knotted around him,
word TO the men who were to pay 1t out, and a
parting kiss to his wife, he stepped upon the lad
der and commenced the descent.
Nora oGrady, ner heart wrung with terror,
stood on the brink and saw hun 60 To his death,
she thought, and tried 10 frame some prayer for
him, but her white lips refused TO move. stand
Ing there, on the threshold OF what she felt must
be the tragedy or her life, she became suddenly
aware OF the curious eyes bent upon her, and OF
the absurd spectacle she presented In her calico
She knew that she had sent her husband to his
doom, and she must not leave the place where she
could see his dead body when the men pulled It
up; but she tried TO settle the jaunty hat Into
some expression OF proprety, and funbling with
her belt, strove to arrange the folds OF her wrap
per.
In the midst Of her awkward struggle mantle
seemed TO descend upon her from the heavens.
Gazing In aStOnlShment over one shoulder, she
found herself arrayed in all the glory OF the Pals
ley shawl Looking up, she saw her enemy awed
into silence by the strange turn events had TAKEN
looking down upon her with quite a new express
sion, aud she realized that ii was no chance i'm
pulse that had prompted her to divest herself Of
| The garment, but tender womany consideration.
81 don't need it, whispered Mrs. Callahan.
Then she quite broke down. "Oh, Nora OGrady?"
Catching the latters little nervous hand between
her large strong ones, she sobbed over her in pen
tence and compassion.
There was a cry from those who stood about the
ladder.
.'iiere he comese-
| Al instant later O'Grady's herculean figure ap-
| peared. bearing In his arms a slender young fell
low VINO tried 10 stand. and would have fallen had
| not strong arms come TO his aid.
shout went up.
ats Williams.
A gray-haired woman came forward, and half
led, half-supported her son away.
The next time O'Grady appeared, he stumbled
and fell, as he was relieved Of his inanimate bur-
den \ whisper ran around.
They LAID MIN on the ground.
A girl stole timidy out from the crowd, and wept
over her dead lover. All eyes turned question
a box, pale and shaky, making a weak gesture OF
protest as the swaying OF the curious crowd
threatened TO shut on the air from him. Then he
| arose, and faltered toward the mortar box where
the hose was playing. He had loOsed the hand.
| kerchief from his mouth and nose, and now united
| II with trembling hands.
| 'Hes going 90 give 1t up, some one said
| OGrady heard the words, and was reminded
that he had already done all that could be ex.
pect ed OF any man; that II he stopped now, he
would still be a hero in the eyes OF those who
were looking on; that neither duty nor reason
demanded his return TO the poisonous den from
which he had escaped but Ire looked toward the
| quarter from which the words had come, and
replied with savage sneer: Not much"
He stopped just long enough to take a cool
invigorating draught from the nozzle OF the hose
| and 10 saturate the handkerchief again. before
binding IL across his face He called FOR another
length OF rope, and, as he instructed the men to
haul up at given signal, they knew that his
strength was given out. Then he leaped upon the
swiItness OF one VINO Is about TO take desperate
risk. No one In the pure, wholesome air above could
guess what II was 10 plunge into this noisOme
hole. The reek1ng rel ository OF fifth and cor
| ruption. from which poisonous gases exhaled
botting out the light OF day that esSayed TO creep
through the narrow opening above, making 1t i'm
possible for so much as the name OF candle 70
\ survive. Nor did OGrady find any comfort in the
reflection that he was doing a magnanimOus
and gallant deed rsking his life TO his enemy
To him Callahan had from the first lost personality
and identity. He was simply fellow being, surIer
/ ing. failing. dying.
| and stopped TO the foul oOze below, the horrible
vapors seemed to rise like spectral FORMS clutch.
ing him. gripping his throat crushing his chest
| In a v1ce-iike embrace. HIS eyes were blinded
| something roared in his ears like the thunder OF
incoming breakers. Sightless, deafened, choking
he CROPPED about him. and found what he sought
l. The men above felt faint pull on the rope
O'Grady had carried in his hands, and hauled IL In
| with a Will moment later Callahan, uncOn.
| scious, but with his chest heaying In slow, con-
vulsive movements, lay stretched upon the ground
| beside them Every body looked TO see O1Grady's
resolute face and broad shoulders appear at the
4 tpy fnl 40 In haiv
/ hearts. Somebody pulled gently upon the rope he
| Ia tied about his waist wnen he first went down
| Heavy, inanlnate weight was the only response
Two OF the workmen swung themselves down
\ the ladder until only their heads and shoulders
were visible, and gripping the rope, brought the
heavy burden into position TO be raised.
snow, boySr
slowly and more carefully than before they
| pulled upon the rope. When Norah OGrady saw
the lfeless form she sprany forward with o little
| cry.
| week later two convalescents sat I'D in bed
| and demanded 10 be dressed. Bridget Callahan
FASTENED TO obey her husbands beheSt with Will
scOlded and expostulated, but TO no effect. OGrady
storned and swore and went angrily of without
| his breakfast, putting In his appearance at the
police court full ten minutes before his antago-
| mist.
he had actually got in a savage plea Of equity
| on the scene. The two men met for the first time
| since the day when Callahan had been drawn Dack
| from the jaws OF frghtrul death by his enemy
| O'Grady would not look toward him now but re
peated his plea, rather more loudly and decidedly
\ than before:
1 equity, your honor"
Callahan held hasty consultation with ar
4 III